Was He
perchance
about to speak of the idols of the Gentiles, that we might despise them all ?
Augustine - Exposition on the Psalms - v6
Our first-born is safe by the Lord, because
and not seen.
He bringeth, says He, the clouds from the ends of the world. He had declared, whence He brings the clouds. He cometh
by reason of the flesh,
Lastly, since we see that flesh is of the earth,
He has given it to us. For that punishment is harmful, tbatExod. blow is too terrible, even the death of the first-born. What is I2' l8" our first-born ? These moral powers of ours, by which we
now serve God, are our first-born.
We have faith as the begin. For He saith to the Church, Thou shall come and shall pass through, from the
first-fruits, whence we
beginnings offaith. And no one begins to live well, save cant. 4, by faith. Our faith therefore is in our first-born. Wben*|in*tB our faith is guarded, other things can follow. For since
men are cleansed daily by growing better, and by living
better, the inner man being renewed day by day, (as the Apostle says, And if our outer man perish, our inner 2 Cor. 4,
man is renewed day by day,) hence it follows, that our16, first-born faith lives, of which first-born faith the Apostle speaks, but not only they, but we ourselves who have the Rom 8,
first-fruits of the Spirit, that is, who give already to God the 23- first-fruits of our spirit, that faith as our first-born nevertheless, groan in ourselves, wailing our adoption, the redemption of our body. If then great grace of God
that our faith preserved, great punishment to slay the first-born, when men lose their faith being involved in the afflictions of the Church. For they afflict the Church when they lose their faith, for affliction meant by Egypt. Whoever therefore afflicts the Church, whoever causes offences to the Church, though he be called a Christian,
yet his first-born dead. They will be infidel, worthless,
is
is
is a
is
it is a
is,
it
;
142 'Man and beast' are the learned and unlearned.
Psalm they will have name and sign only, but they have buried
tne,r first-born in their hearts; so much so, that when thou 1. shalt have said any thing to him about good living, about the hope of eternal life, about the fear of eternal fire, he will mutter to himself; or if he be such as to dare before thee, he turns his face and says, Who hath returned hither from thence? men say to themselves what they will.
And yet he is a Christian; but because he afflicts us, his first-born is slain, his faith is dead, and this from man even unto beast. I will tell you, brethren, what I mean. I understand that men are spiritually meant to be the learned, on account of the rational mind which is man'; beasts the unlearned, but yet having faith, else they would not have a first-born. It is the learned who afflict the Church, by creating schism and heresy. Wherefore ye find no faith in them, because they are become Egypt, that an affliction to the people of God. Their first-born slain, they draw after them an unlearned crowd, these are beasts. In this affliction then, wherewith the Church afflicted, the faith of them who afflict her perishes. The first-born dies of the learned and unlearned, because God slew the first-born of Egypt from man even unto beast.
19. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants. Pharaoh the king of the Egyptians. Observe the name, and note
how God doeth these things. The king of every nation the highest one. Egypt affliction. Pharaoh dispersion. Affliction therefore has dispersion for its king, because they who afflict the Church, are dispersed when they afflict it. For that they may afflict they are scattered, as the king leads, the people follow dispersion goes before, affliction follows. Listen ye, listen ye to these names full of typical meaning and wisdom. You will find not one of these names, which means any good thing, where God hath displayed His wrath,
v. io. li.
Rev*3
20. He smote many nations, and slew strong kings. Tell
Pharaoh, nj? "lS means king in and its cognate languages. The word
Coptic. St. Augustin appear- to have used in the >>ense of lawless or deiived this mystical interpretation of unbridled m Prov. 29, 18. according the word from the radical meaning of to <he best interpretation, unless indeed dispersion or division, contained in all tlle word compared with Pharex words beginning with 15 in Hebrew, V^? -
is
is
is,
is
J
is
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isd
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Mystical meanings of Sehon and Og. 143
me, what kings and what nations? Sehon, king of the Ver.
Amorites. Listen to names pregnant with 'sacramental -l? iiL" * gravid:
meanmgs. He slew, says he, Sehon, king of the Amorites. sacra- Truly He killed them, and now may He slay them from mentia. the hearts of His servants, from the temptations of His Church; and may not His hand stop in slaying such kings
and such people, for Sehon is interpreted the lust of the eyes ; the Amorites mean, they who cause bitterness. And here see whether we can understand how these who cause bitterness, have for their king the lust of the eyes. The lust of the eyes cannot but be lying ; it has a colour, it has no truth. And now why need we wonder, if they who cause bitterness have such a king, namely, a lying king? For except deceit and lying go before, there would be none to cause bitterness in the Church, for they cause bitterness in
that they lie. The lust of the eyes goes before, bitterness follows, as it went before in the devil. For is not the lust of
the eyes that which transforms him to an angel of light ? 1 Cor.
' 12'
God's right hand slay him and them; him lest he tempt, them that they may be purged. For so that king is slain in every man, when he condemneth deception, and loveth the truth. The hand of God ceaseth not to do this. For as He did then verbally, now He doeth spiritually, that He may fulfil what he declared in prophecy. Moreover, He slew another king, and his people. And Og the king of Basan. How
evil is this one? Og means shutting up, Basan means con
fusion. Evil is that king, who shuts up the road to God.
For this the devil does; by always bringing forward his
falsehoods, by bringing forward his idols, by introducing
himself as a friend by meaus of his fanatical soothsayers,
his augurs, diviners, magicians, rites sacred to demons, he
shutteth up the way. Wherefore Christ is the means, that
the be made which had been shut I for way may open, up,
by Him one of the redeemed saith, And in my God
pass over a wall; so that the devil is busied in nothing else,
but that he may shut up the way, lest men believe in God.
For if they believe in God, the way is open, and Christ John H, himself is the Way ; but if men believe not in God, the way 6'
is shut up. But if it be shut up, because He is not believed, what remains, but that when He comes Who was
willPs. is,
144 The wicked to be humbled at the Day of Judgment.
Psalm not believed, they should be confounded who believed not ? C**xv- Why ? Because the shutting up precedes, confusion follows. The shutting up, as the King goes before; the confusion, as the people follow. They whom he shuts up, that they
believe not in Christ, when Christ appears, will all be
confounded, and their iniquities will reprove them. Then Wisd. 5, the wicked in confusion shall say, what did our pride profit
8-
ms ? It is a great mystery, my brethren. Scattering is the king of afflictions, they are scattered that they may be afflicted. A great mystery. The lust of the eyes, that is, deceit, is the prince of them who cause bitterness, for they deceive that they may cause bitterness. Shutting up is the prince of confusion, for they are shut up, that they may not cross over to faith, and when they come before Him in Whom we believe, they will be confounded. And all the
of Chanaan God destroyeth. Chanaan means, Ready for Humbling; Humbling seemeth to mean something good, but only if it profit, for evil humbling is punishment. If humbling were not of the nature of punishment, it would
kingdoms
LukeH, not be said, that he who exalteth himself shall be humbled.
11.
For no benefit is conferred on him, since his punishment is to be humbled. Chanaan therefore is proud now. Every wicked man, every infidel, lifteth up his heart, will not believe in God. But this exaltation is prepared for hum bling on the day ofjudgment; he will be humbled then,
Rom. 9, when he willeth not. For there are vessels of wrath, which
22,
are made ready for destruction. Let them exalt themselves now, babble, raise themselves above the faithful, scoff at the faithful, revile Christians ; let them say, * These are old wives' tales, which they prate of the day of judgment. ' That haughtiness of theirs is prepared for humbling. When the Judge has come, whose advent was before laughed at, then he who now is proud shall be brought low, not to his good, but to his punishment. But he is not yet humbled, he is being made ready for that he getting ready for damnation, getting ready for the slaughter.
21. All these things then did God overthrow, in the body at that time, when our fathers were led out of the land of Egypt, in the spirit now. Nor does His Hand cease until the end. Therefore deem not that these mighty deeds of God
it,
is, is
One Judgment past, 145
were then finished and have ceased. Thy Name, O Lord, he v^a. says, isfor ever. That is, Thy loving-kindness ceasethnot, Thy 13. 14. '
v r" hand ceaseth not for ever from doing these things, which then
Thou didst afore declare in a figure. For all these things l Cor.
'1
happened unto them in a figure, but they are written for our admonition, on whom the end of the ages is come. O Lord, Thy Memorial is from generation to generation. One generation and another generation ; the generation by which we are made the faithful, and are born again by baptism ; the generation by which we shall rise again from the dead, and shall live with the Angels for ever. Thy Memorial, O Lord, is above this generation, and above that; for neither doth He now forget to call us, nor then will He forget to crown us. Thy Memorial, O Lord, is from generation to
generation.
22. For the Lord hath judged His people. Verily He vir. H.
hath fulfilled all these things upon the people of the Jews. Have His works at all remained, after He brought His people into the land of promise? Manifestly He will yet judge them. The Lord hath judged His people, and will be called upon among His servants. Already hath He judged the people. Save the final judgment, the people of the Jews is judged. What is judged? The just are taken away, the unjust are left. But if I lie, or am thought to lie, becau/se I have said, it is already judged, hear the Lord
judgment. And now, thou house of Jacob, come ye, let us
walk in the light of the Lord. This is a small matter ; but
what follows? For He hath put away His people, the
house of Israel. The house of Jacob is the house of Israel ;
for he who is Jacob, the same is Israel. Ye know the holy Scriptures, and I think you remember, that the same Jacob, Gen. 32, when he saw an Angel wrestling with him, received the name 2S*
of Israel. It is therefore one man, whether it be Jacob or Israel, and one person : the house of Jacob and the house of Israel, one nation, one people ; this he invites, that sends away. And of a surety already thou hast killed Christ,
VOL. VI. L
have come judgment into this world, that John 9, for
saying,
they who see not may see, and they who see may be made
blind. The proud are made blind, the lowly are enlightened. Therefore, He hath judged His people. Isaiah spake the Ts. 2, 8.
146 in the rejection of the unbelieving Jews
Psalm thou house of Jacob, thou hast killed Christ; already thou cxxxv. l]ast waggecl tl,y head before the cross; hast marked Him as He hung there; hast said, If He be the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross. Already the Physician has
John 9,
prayed for the madmen, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Surely already thou hast done all these things; and now believe on Him Whom thou hast slain, drink the Blood which thou hast poured out. And now, thou house of Jacob, I would expound the witness of Isaiah, which he hath said here, For the Lord hath judged His people, and He will be called upon among His servants. For He is understood to judge His people, by separating in that very people of His the good from the bad, the faithful from the unfaithful, the Apostles from the lying Jews. He signified this, as I began to say, when He spake by the Prophet, now after all these ill-doings of thine, O thou house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Wherefore do I say to you, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord? Lest by remaining in Judaism, ye come not to Christ. But why ? Did not Christ always prophesy there ? But now He hath sent away His people, the house of Israel. Come, O house of Jacob, for He hath sent away His people the house of Jacob ; come, O house of Israel, for He hath sent away His people the house of Israel. Who hath come, who hath been sent away, save that this is the judgment, that they who see not may see, and they who see may become blind? There fore the Lord hath judged His people. Therefore He hath separated them, and will He not find there them whom He may restore to His kingdom ? Surely He will find, and
liom. 1l, ffe shall be called upon among His servants. He cast not away, says the Apostle, His people whom He knew. And
how does he prove this ? For I
also am an Israelite. There fore God had judged His people, by separating the evil and the good ; that is to say, He shall be called upon among His servants. By whom? By the Gentiles. For how vast
are the nations who have come in by faith. How many farms and desert places now come in to us? They come thence no one can tell how numerously; they would believe. We say to them, What will ye ? They answer, To know the glory of God. Believe, my brethren,
and Conversion of the Gentiles. 147
that we wonder and rejoice at such a claim of these Ver. rustic people. They come I know not whither, roused lo"~1"" up by I know not whom. How shall I say, I know not
by whom ? I know indeed by whom, because He savs,
Xo one cometh to Me, save whom the Father draweth. John 6, They come suddenly from the woods, the desert, the44' most distant and lofty mountains, to the Church ; and
many of them, nay, near all hold this language, so that we
see of a truth that God teacheth them within. The pro
phecy of Scripture is fulfilled, when it says, And they shall 1a. 54, all be taught of God. We say to them, What do ye longj^g for? And they answer, To see the glory of God. For all^- ' ' hare sinned, and come short of the glory of God. They 23. believe, they are sanctified, they will to have clergy ordained
for them. Is it not fulfilled, and He will be called upon
among His servants 1
23. Lastly, after all that arrangement and dispensation, the Spirit of God turns itself to reproaching and ridiculing those idols, which are now ridiculed by their very wor shippers. The idols of the Gentiles are silter and gold. ,. 15. As God made all these things, Who made whatever He would in heaven and earth, Who hath judged His people, and
will be called upon by His servants, what can any thing that man maketh be, but an object of ridicule, not adoration?
Was He perchance about to speak of the idols of the Gentiles, that we might despise them all ? was He about to speak of the idols of the heathen, stones and wood, plaster and pottery ? I say not these, they are mean materials. I speak of that which they specially love, that which they specially
honour. The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold. Surely it is gold, surely it is silver: because silver glitters,
and gold glitters, have they therefore eyes, or do they see? As it is silver, as it is gold, it is useful not to the religious, but to the covetous; nay not even useful to the covetous, but useful to him who useth it well, and who gains by spending it celestial treasure. But as these things are senseless, why make ye men of silver and gold to be gods?
See ye not that the gods which ye make see not? They V. 16. 17. have eyes, and will not see; they have ears, and will not
hear; they have nostrils, and will not smell; they have a
L2
149 The blood of Martyrs the seed of the Church.
Psalm month, and will not speak ; they have hands, and will not cx xs- work; they have feet, and will not walk. All these things could the carpenter, the silversmith, the goldsmith make, both eyes, and ears, and nostrils, and mouth, and hands, and feet, but he could give neither sight to the eyes, nor hearing to the ears, nor speech to the mouth, nor smell to
v. 18.
the nostrils, nor motion to the hands, or going to the feet. 24. And man, thou laughest doubtless at what thou hast made, if thou knowest by Whom thou art made. But of them who know not, what is said ? All they who make
them, and all they who trust in them, are like them. And ye believe, brethren, that there is a likeness to these idols expressed not in their flesh, but in their inner man. For
Mat. 11, they have ears, and hear not. God calls to them indeed, He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. They have eyes, and see not, for they have the eyes of the body, and not the eyes of faith. Lastly, this prophecy is fulfilled among all the nations. See how it hath been said by the prophet. It is nothing allegorical or figurative I mention. Listen to a
peculiar, express, simple, plain prophecy, behold its fulfil- Zeph. ? ,ment. The Lord, says he, hath prevailed against them:
1''
so saith the prophet Zephaniah. Against the gainsayers, and rebellious, and them who make martyrs by the murder of the faithful, but know not, against them the Lord hath pre vailed. And how hath He prevailed? We shall see in His Church that He hath prevailed. They wished to slay, to de stroy a few Christians; they poured out their blood ; from the blood of the slain so many rose up, that by them they, the murderers of the Martyrs, were overcome. And now they ask where they may hide their idols, who of yore killed Christians for the sake of their idols. Hath not the Lord prevailed against them ? See whether He does what follows. The Lord hath prevailed against them. And what did He do ?
Zeph. at He hath destroyed all the gods of the Gentiles, and every man SUp' shall worship Him in his own place, all the isles of the Gentiles. What is this ? Was it not prophesied ? Is it not fulfilled? Is it not seen, as it is written? And they who remain have eyes, and see not; have nostrils, and smell
2 Cor. '
not. They perceive not that savour. We are a good savour of Christ, as the apostle says every where. What profiteth
Christians the true house of Israel. 149
that they have nostrils, and smell not thai so sweet savour Ver.
'i0'
of Christ? Truly done in them, and truly said of them, All they who make them, and all they who trust in them, are like to them.
25. But daily do men believe through the miracles of Christ our Lord daily the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf are opened, the nostrils of the senseless are breathed into, the tongues of the dumb are loosed, the hands of the palsied are strengthened, the feet of the lame are guided sons of
Abraham are raised up of these stones, to all of whom be
Matt. said, Bless the Lord, ye house of Israel. All are sons of^. ' 19,
Abraham and sons of Abraham are raised up from these stones, plain that they are rather the house of Israel who belong to the house of Israel, the seed of Abraham, not
the flesh, but by faith. Bless the Lord, ye house Israel. But even granting that said of that house, and the people
of Israel meant, from thence did the Apostles and thou sands of the circumcised believe? Bless the Lord, ye house7-20. of Israel; bless the Lord, ye house of Aaron; bless the Lord,
ye house Levi. Bless the Lord, ye nations, this is, the house of Israel generally bless Him, ye leaders, this is,
the house of Aaron; bless Him, ye servants, this is, the house of Levi. W hat of the other nations? Ye that fear
the Lord, bless the Lord.
26. Let us also with one voice say what follows: Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem . Out of Zion Jerusalem too. Zion 'watching,' Jerusalem the 'vision of peace. ' In what Jerusalem will He dwell now In that which has fallen Nay, but in that which our mother, which in the heavens, of which said,
The desolate hath more children than she which hath als. 54,1, husband. For now the Lord from Zion, because we
watch when He will come; now as long as we live in hope,
we are in Zion. When our way ended, we shall dwell in
that city which will never fall, because the Lord dwelleth
in her, and keepeth her, which the vision of peace, the
eternal Jerusalem; for the praise of which, my brethren, language sufficeth not; where we shall find no enemy, either
within the Church or without the Church, neither iu our
flesh, nor in our thoughts. For death shall be swallowed iCor. 15,
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;
it is
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it is
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150 God's mercy, how for ever.
Tsaim up in victory, and we shall be free to see God in >xxxvi. etenial peace, being made citizens of Jerusalem, the city
of God. exxxir.
PSALM CXXXVI. EXPOSITION.
ver. 1.
1. Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endure th for ever. This Psalm contains the praise of God, and all its verses finish in the same way. Wherefore although many things are related here in praise of God, yet His mercy is most commended; for without this plain commendation, he, whom the Holy Spirit used to utter this Psalm, would have no verse be ended. 1 remem-
Ps. 106, ber, in the hundred and fifth Psalm, which begins in the same way, because the manuscript which I read had not
l"E" for ever, but, for ages1 His mercy, that I enquired what we had better understand. For, in the Greek language, it is written, elg tov alwvx, which may be interpreted, for ages,
'inaeter- and, for ever1. But it would be tedious to renew the enquiries I made as best I could in that place. But in this Psalm, the same manuscript has not for ages, which most have, but, for ever His mercy. Although after the
judgment, by which at the end of the world the quick and
Mat. 25, the dead must be judged, the just being sent into life
1
''
eternal, the unjust into everlasting fire, there will not afterwards be those, whom God will have mercy on, yet rightly may His future mercy be understood to be for ever, which He bestows on His saints and faithful ones, not because they will be miserable for ever, and therefore will need His mercy for ever, but because that very blessedness, which He mercifully bestows on the miserable, that they cease to be miserable, and begin to be happy, will have no end, and therefore His mercy is for ever. For that we shall be just from being unjust, whole from being unsound, alive from being dead, immortal from being mortal, happy from being wretched, is of His mercy. But this that we
Who are 'gods' in Scripture. 151
shall be, will be for ever, and therefore His mercy is for Vgu.
ever. Wherefore, give thanks to the Lord ; that praise the Lord by giving thanks, for He good: nor any tem poral good you will gain from this confession, for, His mercy
3' .
endureth for ever; that the benefit which He bestows mercifully upon you, for ever. The expression, for He is good, in the Greek ayaQo; not as in the hundred and fifth Psalm, for there He good,' in Greek
X? 1<rT0J- And so some have expounded the former, Since He
sweet. ' For ayoSo; not good any how, but good most excellently.
Then follows, Give thanks to the God gods, for Hisver. 2. mercy endureth for ever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, ver. 3.
for His mercy endureth for ever. We may well enquire,
Who are these gods and lords, of whom He Who the true
God God and Lord And we find written in another
Psalm, that men even are called gods as is, God stood in Pk. 82,1. the congregation of the gods, He discerneth between the gods.
And little afterwards, children of the High One
have said, Ye are gods, and. all lb. 6. but ye shall die like men, and
The Lord even takes note of
fall as one of the princes.
this testimony in the Gospel, saying, Ls not written in Johnio,
your Law, have said, Ye are gods If He called them 34' gods, for whom the word of God was sent, and the Scrip tures cannot be broken, how say ye, Thou blasphemest,
because said, am the Son of God? not therefore because they are all good, but because the word of God came to them, that they were called gods. For were be cause they are all good, He would not thus distinguish between them. For when He said, God standeth in the congregation
gods, He does not say, He distinguishes between God and men, as He shewed what was the difference between gods and men; but He saith, He judgeth between the gods. Then follows, How long do ye judge iniquity and the rest,
Ps. 82,2.
not to all, but to some, because He saith in distinguishing, and yet He distinguisheth
between the gods.
3. But asked, If men are called gods to whom the
word of the Lord came, are the Angels to be called gods, when the greatest reward which promised to just and
which He says certainly
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it is
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152 Angels not called ' gods,' and why.
Psalm holy men is the being equal to Angels? In the Scriptures
'i*""'" 1 know not whether it can, at least easily, be found, that
the Angels are openly called gods ; but when it had been said
Ps. 96,4of the Lord God, He is terrible, above all gods, he adds, as
seq'
by way of exposition why he says this, for the gods of the heathen are devils. Over such gods as these, he says, that the Lord is terrible among His holy places, the heavens which He hath made, from which the devils are frightened. For so it follows. But the Lord made the heavens. It is not therefore the gods without addition ; but the gods of the Gentiles are devils; but above He says, He is terrible above all gods. He does not say, above all the gods of the Gentiles, although He would have this understood, by adding what follows, For the gods of the Gentiles are devils. It is said that this is not the reading in Hebrew, but the gods of the Gentiles are idols. If this be true, much the more must the Seventy be believed to have interpreted by the Divine Spirit, the same Spirit as He by whom these things were said in the Hebrew. For by the working of the same
Spirit this also should be said which was said, The gods of the Gentiles are devils, that we might understand what had been expressed in the Hebrew, the gods of the Gentiles are idols, meaning rather the devils which dwell in the idols'. For as regards images, which in Greek are called idols,
i Mmu-
irSalw a name we now use in Latin, they have eyes and see not,
and all the other things which are said of them, because they are utterly without sense ; wherefore they cannot be frightened, for nothing which has no sense can be frightened. How then can it be said of the Lord, He is terrible above all gods, because the gods of the Gentiles are idols, if the devils which may be frightened are not understood to be in these images. Whence also the Apostle says, We know that
l Cor.
B' *' an idol is nothing. This refers to its earthy senseless
material. But that no one may think, that there is no living
and sentient nature, which delights in the Gentile sacrifices, l Cor. he adds, But what the GIentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to 10, 20' devils, and not to God : would not have you partakers
with devils. If therefore we never find in the divine words that the holy Angels are called gods, I think the best reason is, that men may not be induced by the name to pay
Thanksgiving the note of the whole Psalm. 153
that ministry and service of religion (which in Greek is Ver. called AsiTOti^yi'a or Aargia) to the holy Angels, which neither -- would they have paid by man at all, save to that God,
Who is the God of themselves and men. Hence they are
much more correctly called Angels, which in Latin is
' Nuntii,' that by the name of their function, not their substance, we may plainly understand that they would have
us worship the God, Whom they announce. The whole
then of that question the Apostle has briefly expounded,
when he says, For though there be who are called gods, l Cot. 8, whether in heaven or in earth, as there are gods many and5- 6" lords many ; yet we have one God the Father, from Whom are
all, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.
4. Let us therefore give thanks to the God of gods, and
the Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever. Who ver. 4. alone did wonderful things. As at the last part of every
verse, it is written, For His mercy endureth for ever, so we
must understand at the beginning of each, though it be not written, Give thanks. Which indeed in the Greek is very
plain. It would be so in Latin, if our translators had been
able to make use of that expression. Which indeed they
could have done in this verse, if they had said, 'To Him
Who doeth 1 wonderful things. ' For where we have, Who rfirf'facienti wonderful things, the Greek has raj 7roiqo-avr/, where we must {^abl"
understand, give thanks. And I would they
had added the pronoun, and said to Him, Who did, or to
Him Who doeth, or to Him Who made sure ; because then
one might easily understand, let us give thanks. For now
it is so obscurely rendered, that He who either knows not or
cares not to examine a Greek manuscript may think, Who ver. 5. made the heavens, Who made sure the earth, Who made the luminaries, for His mercy endureth for ever, has been so
said, because He did these things for this reason, because
His mercy endureth for ever : whereas they, whom He has
freed from misery, belong to His Mercy: but not that we should believe that He makes sky, earth, and luminaries, of
His Mercy; since they are marks of His Goodness, Who Gen. l, created all things very good. For He created all things, that^d they might have their being ; but it is the work of His Mercy, 14.
necessarily
154 All God's works made by His Wisdom,
Psalm to cleanse us from our sins, and deliver us from everlasting - -- -misery. And so the Psalm thus addresses us, Give thanks unto the God of Gods, give thanks unto the Lord of Lords. Give thanks to Him, Who alone doeth great wonders ; give thanks to Him, Who by His wisdom made the heavens; give thanks to Him, Who stretched out the earth above the waters ;
give thanks to Him, Who alone made great lights. Hut why
we are to praise, he setteth down at the end of all theverses, for His mercy endureth for ever.
5. But what meaneth, Who alone doeth great wonders ? Is it because many wonderful things He hath done by means of angels and men ? Some wonderful things there are which God doeth alone, and these he enumerates, saying,
v. 5--7. Who by His wisdom made the heavens, Who stretched out the earth above the waters, Who alone made great lights. For this reason did he add alone in this verse also, because the other wonders which he is about to tell of, God did by means of man. For having said, Who alone made great
v. 8. 9. lights, he goes on to explain what these are, the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night; then he begins to tell the wonders which He did by means of angels
v. io. and men ; Who smote Egypt with their first-born, and the rest. The whole creation then God manifestly made, not by means of any creature, but alone ; and of this creation he hath mentioned certain more eminent parts, that they might
1 intelii- make us think on the whole; the heavens we can understand1,
effilos. <<
anfl tne earth we see. And as there are visible heavens too, by mentioning the lights in them, he has bid us look on the whole body of the heavens as made by Him.
6. However, whether by what he saith, Who made the heavens in understanding, or, as others have rendered in intelligence, he meant to signify, the heavens we can under stand, or that He in His understanding or intelligence, that is, in His wisdom made the heavens, (as elsewhere
Ps. 104, written, in wisdom hast Thou made them all,) implying
24'
thereby the only-begotten Word, may be question. But be so, that we are to understand that God His wisdom made the heavens, why saith He this only of the
heavens, whereas God made all things by the same wisdom? Is that needed only to be expressed there, so that in
it it
if it
by
it,
a
it is
that is, His Word.
the rest it might be understood without being written ; so Ver.
^~10'
that he means to say, Who by His wisdom made the heavens: Who laid out the earth above the waters, here under standing, by His wisdom: Who alone made great lights;
the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night, that is, by His wisdom.
and not seen.
He bringeth, says He, the clouds from the ends of the world. He had declared, whence He brings the clouds. He cometh
by reason of the flesh,
Lastly, since we see that flesh is of the earth,
He has given it to us. For that punishment is harmful, tbatExod. blow is too terrible, even the death of the first-born. What is I2' l8" our first-born ? These moral powers of ours, by which we
now serve God, are our first-born.
We have faith as the begin. For He saith to the Church, Thou shall come and shall pass through, from the
first-fruits, whence we
beginnings offaith. And no one begins to live well, save cant. 4, by faith. Our faith therefore is in our first-born. Wben*|in*tB our faith is guarded, other things can follow. For since
men are cleansed daily by growing better, and by living
better, the inner man being renewed day by day, (as the Apostle says, And if our outer man perish, our inner 2 Cor. 4,
man is renewed day by day,) hence it follows, that our16, first-born faith lives, of which first-born faith the Apostle speaks, but not only they, but we ourselves who have the Rom 8,
first-fruits of the Spirit, that is, who give already to God the 23- first-fruits of our spirit, that faith as our first-born nevertheless, groan in ourselves, wailing our adoption, the redemption of our body. If then great grace of God
that our faith preserved, great punishment to slay the first-born, when men lose their faith being involved in the afflictions of the Church. For they afflict the Church when they lose their faith, for affliction meant by Egypt. Whoever therefore afflicts the Church, whoever causes offences to the Church, though he be called a Christian,
yet his first-born dead. They will be infidel, worthless,
is
is
is a
is
it is a
is,
it
;
142 'Man and beast' are the learned and unlearned.
Psalm they will have name and sign only, but they have buried
tne,r first-born in their hearts; so much so, that when thou 1. shalt have said any thing to him about good living, about the hope of eternal life, about the fear of eternal fire, he will mutter to himself; or if he be such as to dare before thee, he turns his face and says, Who hath returned hither from thence? men say to themselves what they will.
And yet he is a Christian; but because he afflicts us, his first-born is slain, his faith is dead, and this from man even unto beast. I will tell you, brethren, what I mean. I understand that men are spiritually meant to be the learned, on account of the rational mind which is man'; beasts the unlearned, but yet having faith, else they would not have a first-born. It is the learned who afflict the Church, by creating schism and heresy. Wherefore ye find no faith in them, because they are become Egypt, that an affliction to the people of God. Their first-born slain, they draw after them an unlearned crowd, these are beasts. In this affliction then, wherewith the Church afflicted, the faith of them who afflict her perishes. The first-born dies of the learned and unlearned, because God slew the first-born of Egypt from man even unto beast.
19. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants. Pharaoh the king of the Egyptians. Observe the name, and note
how God doeth these things. The king of every nation the highest one. Egypt affliction. Pharaoh dispersion. Affliction therefore has dispersion for its king, because they who afflict the Church, are dispersed when they afflict it. For that they may afflict they are scattered, as the king leads, the people follow dispersion goes before, affliction follows. Listen ye, listen ye to these names full of typical meaning and wisdom. You will find not one of these names, which means any good thing, where God hath displayed His wrath,
v. io. li.
Rev*3
20. He smote many nations, and slew strong kings. Tell
Pharaoh, nj? "lS means king in and its cognate languages. The word
Coptic. St. Augustin appear- to have used in the >>ense of lawless or deiived this mystical interpretation of unbridled m Prov. 29, 18. according the word from the radical meaning of to <he best interpretation, unless indeed dispersion or division, contained in all tlle word compared with Pharex words beginning with 15 in Hebrew, V^? -
is
is
is,
is
J
is
;
it,
is
isd
is
is
Mystical meanings of Sehon and Og. 143
me, what kings and what nations? Sehon, king of the Ver.
Amorites. Listen to names pregnant with 'sacramental -l? iiL" * gravid:
meanmgs. He slew, says he, Sehon, king of the Amorites. sacra- Truly He killed them, and now may He slay them from mentia. the hearts of His servants, from the temptations of His Church; and may not His hand stop in slaying such kings
and such people, for Sehon is interpreted the lust of the eyes ; the Amorites mean, they who cause bitterness. And here see whether we can understand how these who cause bitterness, have for their king the lust of the eyes. The lust of the eyes cannot but be lying ; it has a colour, it has no truth. And now why need we wonder, if they who cause bitterness have such a king, namely, a lying king? For except deceit and lying go before, there would be none to cause bitterness in the Church, for they cause bitterness in
that they lie. The lust of the eyes goes before, bitterness follows, as it went before in the devil. For is not the lust of
the eyes that which transforms him to an angel of light ? 1 Cor.
' 12'
God's right hand slay him and them; him lest he tempt, them that they may be purged. For so that king is slain in every man, when he condemneth deception, and loveth the truth. The hand of God ceaseth not to do this. For as He did then verbally, now He doeth spiritually, that He may fulfil what he declared in prophecy. Moreover, He slew another king, and his people. And Og the king of Basan. How
evil is this one? Og means shutting up, Basan means con
fusion. Evil is that king, who shuts up the road to God.
For this the devil does; by always bringing forward his
falsehoods, by bringing forward his idols, by introducing
himself as a friend by meaus of his fanatical soothsayers,
his augurs, diviners, magicians, rites sacred to demons, he
shutteth up the way. Wherefore Christ is the means, that
the be made which had been shut I for way may open, up,
by Him one of the redeemed saith, And in my God
pass over a wall; so that the devil is busied in nothing else,
but that he may shut up the way, lest men believe in God.
For if they believe in God, the way is open, and Christ John H, himself is the Way ; but if men believe not in God, the way 6'
is shut up. But if it be shut up, because He is not believed, what remains, but that when He comes Who was
willPs. is,
144 The wicked to be humbled at the Day of Judgment.
Psalm not believed, they should be confounded who believed not ? C**xv- Why ? Because the shutting up precedes, confusion follows. The shutting up, as the King goes before; the confusion, as the people follow. They whom he shuts up, that they
believe not in Christ, when Christ appears, will all be
confounded, and their iniquities will reprove them. Then Wisd. 5, the wicked in confusion shall say, what did our pride profit
8-
ms ? It is a great mystery, my brethren. Scattering is the king of afflictions, they are scattered that they may be afflicted. A great mystery. The lust of the eyes, that is, deceit, is the prince of them who cause bitterness, for they deceive that they may cause bitterness. Shutting up is the prince of confusion, for they are shut up, that they may not cross over to faith, and when they come before Him in Whom we believe, they will be confounded. And all the
of Chanaan God destroyeth. Chanaan means, Ready for Humbling; Humbling seemeth to mean something good, but only if it profit, for evil humbling is punishment. If humbling were not of the nature of punishment, it would
kingdoms
LukeH, not be said, that he who exalteth himself shall be humbled.
11.
For no benefit is conferred on him, since his punishment is to be humbled. Chanaan therefore is proud now. Every wicked man, every infidel, lifteth up his heart, will not believe in God. But this exaltation is prepared for hum bling on the day ofjudgment; he will be humbled then,
Rom. 9, when he willeth not. For there are vessels of wrath, which
22,
are made ready for destruction. Let them exalt themselves now, babble, raise themselves above the faithful, scoff at the faithful, revile Christians ; let them say, * These are old wives' tales, which they prate of the day of judgment. ' That haughtiness of theirs is prepared for humbling. When the Judge has come, whose advent was before laughed at, then he who now is proud shall be brought low, not to his good, but to his punishment. But he is not yet humbled, he is being made ready for that he getting ready for damnation, getting ready for the slaughter.
21. All these things then did God overthrow, in the body at that time, when our fathers were led out of the land of Egypt, in the spirit now. Nor does His Hand cease until the end. Therefore deem not that these mighty deeds of God
it,
is, is
One Judgment past, 145
were then finished and have ceased. Thy Name, O Lord, he v^a. says, isfor ever. That is, Thy loving-kindness ceasethnot, Thy 13. 14. '
v r" hand ceaseth not for ever from doing these things, which then
Thou didst afore declare in a figure. For all these things l Cor.
'1
happened unto them in a figure, but they are written for our admonition, on whom the end of the ages is come. O Lord, Thy Memorial is from generation to generation. One generation and another generation ; the generation by which we are made the faithful, and are born again by baptism ; the generation by which we shall rise again from the dead, and shall live with the Angels for ever. Thy Memorial, O Lord, is above this generation, and above that; for neither doth He now forget to call us, nor then will He forget to crown us. Thy Memorial, O Lord, is from generation to
generation.
22. For the Lord hath judged His people. Verily He vir. H.
hath fulfilled all these things upon the people of the Jews. Have His works at all remained, after He brought His people into the land of promise? Manifestly He will yet judge them. The Lord hath judged His people, and will be called upon among His servants. Already hath He judged the people. Save the final judgment, the people of the Jews is judged. What is judged? The just are taken away, the unjust are left. But if I lie, or am thought to lie, becau/se I have said, it is already judged, hear the Lord
judgment. And now, thou house of Jacob, come ye, let us
walk in the light of the Lord. This is a small matter ; but
what follows? For He hath put away His people, the
house of Israel. The house of Jacob is the house of Israel ;
for he who is Jacob, the same is Israel. Ye know the holy Scriptures, and I think you remember, that the same Jacob, Gen. 32, when he saw an Angel wrestling with him, received the name 2S*
of Israel. It is therefore one man, whether it be Jacob or Israel, and one person : the house of Jacob and the house of Israel, one nation, one people ; this he invites, that sends away. And of a surety already thou hast killed Christ,
VOL. VI. L
have come judgment into this world, that John 9, for
saying,
they who see not may see, and they who see may be made
blind. The proud are made blind, the lowly are enlightened. Therefore, He hath judged His people. Isaiah spake the Ts. 2, 8.
146 in the rejection of the unbelieving Jews
Psalm thou house of Jacob, thou hast killed Christ; already thou cxxxv. l]ast waggecl tl,y head before the cross; hast marked Him as He hung there; hast said, If He be the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross. Already the Physician has
John 9,
prayed for the madmen, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Surely already thou hast done all these things; and now believe on Him Whom thou hast slain, drink the Blood which thou hast poured out. And now, thou house of Jacob, I would expound the witness of Isaiah, which he hath said here, For the Lord hath judged His people, and He will be called upon among His servants. For He is understood to judge His people, by separating in that very people of His the good from the bad, the faithful from the unfaithful, the Apostles from the lying Jews. He signified this, as I began to say, when He spake by the Prophet, now after all these ill-doings of thine, O thou house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Wherefore do I say to you, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord? Lest by remaining in Judaism, ye come not to Christ. But why ? Did not Christ always prophesy there ? But now He hath sent away His people, the house of Israel. Come, O house of Jacob, for He hath sent away His people the house of Jacob ; come, O house of Israel, for He hath sent away His people the house of Israel. Who hath come, who hath been sent away, save that this is the judgment, that they who see not may see, and they who see may become blind? There fore the Lord hath judged His people. Therefore He hath separated them, and will He not find there them whom He may restore to His kingdom ? Surely He will find, and
liom. 1l, ffe shall be called upon among His servants. He cast not away, says the Apostle, His people whom He knew. And
how does he prove this ? For I
also am an Israelite. There fore God had judged His people, by separating the evil and the good ; that is to say, He shall be called upon among His servants. By whom? By the Gentiles. For how vast
are the nations who have come in by faith. How many farms and desert places now come in to us? They come thence no one can tell how numerously; they would believe. We say to them, What will ye ? They answer, To know the glory of God. Believe, my brethren,
and Conversion of the Gentiles. 147
that we wonder and rejoice at such a claim of these Ver. rustic people. They come I know not whither, roused lo"~1"" up by I know not whom. How shall I say, I know not
by whom ? I know indeed by whom, because He savs,
Xo one cometh to Me, save whom the Father draweth. John 6, They come suddenly from the woods, the desert, the44' most distant and lofty mountains, to the Church ; and
many of them, nay, near all hold this language, so that we
see of a truth that God teacheth them within. The pro
phecy of Scripture is fulfilled, when it says, And they shall 1a. 54, all be taught of God. We say to them, What do ye longj^g for? And they answer, To see the glory of God. For all^- ' ' hare sinned, and come short of the glory of God. They 23. believe, they are sanctified, they will to have clergy ordained
for them. Is it not fulfilled, and He will be called upon
among His servants 1
23. Lastly, after all that arrangement and dispensation, the Spirit of God turns itself to reproaching and ridiculing those idols, which are now ridiculed by their very wor shippers. The idols of the Gentiles are silter and gold. ,. 15. As God made all these things, Who made whatever He would in heaven and earth, Who hath judged His people, and
will be called upon by His servants, what can any thing that man maketh be, but an object of ridicule, not adoration?
Was He perchance about to speak of the idols of the Gentiles, that we might despise them all ? was He about to speak of the idols of the heathen, stones and wood, plaster and pottery ? I say not these, they are mean materials. I speak of that which they specially love, that which they specially
honour. The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold. Surely it is gold, surely it is silver: because silver glitters,
and gold glitters, have they therefore eyes, or do they see? As it is silver, as it is gold, it is useful not to the religious, but to the covetous; nay not even useful to the covetous, but useful to him who useth it well, and who gains by spending it celestial treasure. But as these things are senseless, why make ye men of silver and gold to be gods?
See ye not that the gods which ye make see not? They V. 16. 17. have eyes, and will not see; they have ears, and will not
hear; they have nostrils, and will not smell; they have a
L2
149 The blood of Martyrs the seed of the Church.
Psalm month, and will not speak ; they have hands, and will not cx xs- work; they have feet, and will not walk. All these things could the carpenter, the silversmith, the goldsmith make, both eyes, and ears, and nostrils, and mouth, and hands, and feet, but he could give neither sight to the eyes, nor hearing to the ears, nor speech to the mouth, nor smell to
v. 18.
the nostrils, nor motion to the hands, or going to the feet. 24. And man, thou laughest doubtless at what thou hast made, if thou knowest by Whom thou art made. But of them who know not, what is said ? All they who make
them, and all they who trust in them, are like them. And ye believe, brethren, that there is a likeness to these idols expressed not in their flesh, but in their inner man. For
Mat. 11, they have ears, and hear not. God calls to them indeed, He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. They have eyes, and see not, for they have the eyes of the body, and not the eyes of faith. Lastly, this prophecy is fulfilled among all the nations. See how it hath been said by the prophet. It is nothing allegorical or figurative I mention. Listen to a
peculiar, express, simple, plain prophecy, behold its fulfil- Zeph. ? ,ment. The Lord, says he, hath prevailed against them:
1''
so saith the prophet Zephaniah. Against the gainsayers, and rebellious, and them who make martyrs by the murder of the faithful, but know not, against them the Lord hath pre vailed. And how hath He prevailed? We shall see in His Church that He hath prevailed. They wished to slay, to de stroy a few Christians; they poured out their blood ; from the blood of the slain so many rose up, that by them they, the murderers of the Martyrs, were overcome. And now they ask where they may hide their idols, who of yore killed Christians for the sake of their idols. Hath not the Lord prevailed against them ? See whether He does what follows. The Lord hath prevailed against them. And what did He do ?
Zeph. at He hath destroyed all the gods of the Gentiles, and every man SUp' shall worship Him in his own place, all the isles of the Gentiles. What is this ? Was it not prophesied ? Is it not fulfilled? Is it not seen, as it is written? And they who remain have eyes, and see not; have nostrils, and smell
2 Cor. '
not. They perceive not that savour. We are a good savour of Christ, as the apostle says every where. What profiteth
Christians the true house of Israel. 149
that they have nostrils, and smell not thai so sweet savour Ver.
'i0'
of Christ? Truly done in them, and truly said of them, All they who make them, and all they who trust in them, are like to them.
25. But daily do men believe through the miracles of Christ our Lord daily the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf are opened, the nostrils of the senseless are breathed into, the tongues of the dumb are loosed, the hands of the palsied are strengthened, the feet of the lame are guided sons of
Abraham are raised up of these stones, to all of whom be
Matt. said, Bless the Lord, ye house of Israel. All are sons of^. ' 19,
Abraham and sons of Abraham are raised up from these stones, plain that they are rather the house of Israel who belong to the house of Israel, the seed of Abraham, not
the flesh, but by faith. Bless the Lord, ye house Israel. But even granting that said of that house, and the people
of Israel meant, from thence did the Apostles and thou sands of the circumcised believe? Bless the Lord, ye house7-20. of Israel; bless the Lord, ye house of Aaron; bless the Lord,
ye house Levi. Bless the Lord, ye nations, this is, the house of Israel generally bless Him, ye leaders, this is,
the house of Aaron; bless Him, ye servants, this is, the house of Levi. W hat of the other nations? Ye that fear
the Lord, bless the Lord.
26. Let us also with one voice say what follows: Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem . Out of Zion Jerusalem too. Zion 'watching,' Jerusalem the 'vision of peace. ' In what Jerusalem will He dwell now In that which has fallen Nay, but in that which our mother, which in the heavens, of which said,
The desolate hath more children than she which hath als. 54,1, husband. For now the Lord from Zion, because we
watch when He will come; now as long as we live in hope,
we are in Zion. When our way ended, we shall dwell in
that city which will never fall, because the Lord dwelleth
in her, and keepeth her, which the vision of peace, the
eternal Jerusalem; for the praise of which, my brethren, language sufficeth not; where we shall find no enemy, either
within the Church or without the Church, neither iu our
flesh, nor in our thoughts. For death shall be swallowed iCor. 15,
is
is
is
?
is
27" *'
1
is
it is
?
is
it ; ; of is is
;
it is
it of; is
it is
is
9
it 3,
by
it,
if
150 God's mercy, how for ever.
Tsaim up in victory, and we shall be free to see God in >xxxvi. etenial peace, being made citizens of Jerusalem, the city
of God. exxxir.
PSALM CXXXVI. EXPOSITION.
ver. 1.
1. Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endure th for ever. This Psalm contains the praise of God, and all its verses finish in the same way. Wherefore although many things are related here in praise of God, yet His mercy is most commended; for without this plain commendation, he, whom the Holy Spirit used to utter this Psalm, would have no verse be ended. 1 remem-
Ps. 106, ber, in the hundred and fifth Psalm, which begins in the same way, because the manuscript which I read had not
l"E" for ever, but, for ages1 His mercy, that I enquired what we had better understand. For, in the Greek language, it is written, elg tov alwvx, which may be interpreted, for ages,
'inaeter- and, for ever1. But it would be tedious to renew the enquiries I made as best I could in that place. But in this Psalm, the same manuscript has not for ages, which most have, but, for ever His mercy. Although after the
judgment, by which at the end of the world the quick and
Mat. 25, the dead must be judged, the just being sent into life
1
''
eternal, the unjust into everlasting fire, there will not afterwards be those, whom God will have mercy on, yet rightly may His future mercy be understood to be for ever, which He bestows on His saints and faithful ones, not because they will be miserable for ever, and therefore will need His mercy for ever, but because that very blessedness, which He mercifully bestows on the miserable, that they cease to be miserable, and begin to be happy, will have no end, and therefore His mercy is for ever. For that we shall be just from being unjust, whole from being unsound, alive from being dead, immortal from being mortal, happy from being wretched, is of His mercy. But this that we
Who are 'gods' in Scripture. 151
shall be, will be for ever, and therefore His mercy is for Vgu.
ever. Wherefore, give thanks to the Lord ; that praise the Lord by giving thanks, for He good: nor any tem poral good you will gain from this confession, for, His mercy
3' .
endureth for ever; that the benefit which He bestows mercifully upon you, for ever. The expression, for He is good, in the Greek ayaQo; not as in the hundred and fifth Psalm, for there He good,' in Greek
X? 1<rT0J- And so some have expounded the former, Since He
sweet. ' For ayoSo; not good any how, but good most excellently.
Then follows, Give thanks to the God gods, for Hisver. 2. mercy endureth for ever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, ver. 3.
for His mercy endureth for ever. We may well enquire,
Who are these gods and lords, of whom He Who the true
God God and Lord And we find written in another
Psalm, that men even are called gods as is, God stood in Pk. 82,1. the congregation of the gods, He discerneth between the gods.
And little afterwards, children of the High One
have said, Ye are gods, and. all lb. 6. but ye shall die like men, and
The Lord even takes note of
fall as one of the princes.
this testimony in the Gospel, saying, Ls not written in Johnio,
your Law, have said, Ye are gods If He called them 34' gods, for whom the word of God was sent, and the Scrip tures cannot be broken, how say ye, Thou blasphemest,
because said, am the Son of God? not therefore because they are all good, but because the word of God came to them, that they were called gods. For were be cause they are all good, He would not thus distinguish between them. For when He said, God standeth in the congregation
gods, He does not say, He distinguishes between God and men, as He shewed what was the difference between gods and men; but He saith, He judgeth between the gods. Then follows, How long do ye judge iniquity and the rest,
Ps. 82,2.
not to all, but to some, because He saith in distinguishing, and yet He distinguisheth
between the gods.
3. But asked, If men are called gods to whom the
word of the Lord came, are the Angels to be called gods, when the greatest reward which promised to just and
which He says certainly
is
?
;
it is
it
if
I I
of
I
2.
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! is of
it
it
it
;
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a
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is
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is
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2
152 Angels not called ' gods,' and why.
Psalm holy men is the being equal to Angels? In the Scriptures
'i*""'" 1 know not whether it can, at least easily, be found, that
the Angels are openly called gods ; but when it had been said
Ps. 96,4of the Lord God, He is terrible, above all gods, he adds, as
seq'
by way of exposition why he says this, for the gods of the heathen are devils. Over such gods as these, he says, that the Lord is terrible among His holy places, the heavens which He hath made, from which the devils are frightened. For so it follows. But the Lord made the heavens. It is not therefore the gods without addition ; but the gods of the Gentiles are devils; but above He says, He is terrible above all gods. He does not say, above all the gods of the Gentiles, although He would have this understood, by adding what follows, For the gods of the Gentiles are devils. It is said that this is not the reading in Hebrew, but the gods of the Gentiles are idols. If this be true, much the more must the Seventy be believed to have interpreted by the Divine Spirit, the same Spirit as He by whom these things were said in the Hebrew. For by the working of the same
Spirit this also should be said which was said, The gods of the Gentiles are devils, that we might understand what had been expressed in the Hebrew, the gods of the Gentiles are idols, meaning rather the devils which dwell in the idols'. For as regards images, which in Greek are called idols,
i Mmu-
irSalw a name we now use in Latin, they have eyes and see not,
and all the other things which are said of them, because they are utterly without sense ; wherefore they cannot be frightened, for nothing which has no sense can be frightened. How then can it be said of the Lord, He is terrible above all gods, because the gods of the Gentiles are idols, if the devils which may be frightened are not understood to be in these images. Whence also the Apostle says, We know that
l Cor.
B' *' an idol is nothing. This refers to its earthy senseless
material. But that no one may think, that there is no living
and sentient nature, which delights in the Gentile sacrifices, l Cor. he adds, But what the GIentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to 10, 20' devils, and not to God : would not have you partakers
with devils. If therefore we never find in the divine words that the holy Angels are called gods, I think the best reason is, that men may not be induced by the name to pay
Thanksgiving the note of the whole Psalm. 153
that ministry and service of religion (which in Greek is Ver. called AsiTOti^yi'a or Aargia) to the holy Angels, which neither -- would they have paid by man at all, save to that God,
Who is the God of themselves and men. Hence they are
much more correctly called Angels, which in Latin is
' Nuntii,' that by the name of their function, not their substance, we may plainly understand that they would have
us worship the God, Whom they announce. The whole
then of that question the Apostle has briefly expounded,
when he says, For though there be who are called gods, l Cot. 8, whether in heaven or in earth, as there are gods many and5- 6" lords many ; yet we have one God the Father, from Whom are
all, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.
4. Let us therefore give thanks to the God of gods, and
the Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever. Who ver. 4. alone did wonderful things. As at the last part of every
verse, it is written, For His mercy endureth for ever, so we
must understand at the beginning of each, though it be not written, Give thanks. Which indeed in the Greek is very
plain. It would be so in Latin, if our translators had been
able to make use of that expression. Which indeed they
could have done in this verse, if they had said, 'To Him
Who doeth 1 wonderful things. ' For where we have, Who rfirf'facienti wonderful things, the Greek has raj 7roiqo-avr/, where we must {^abl"
understand, give thanks. And I would they
had added the pronoun, and said to Him, Who did, or to
Him Who doeth, or to Him Who made sure ; because then
one might easily understand, let us give thanks. For now
it is so obscurely rendered, that He who either knows not or
cares not to examine a Greek manuscript may think, Who ver. 5. made the heavens, Who made sure the earth, Who made the luminaries, for His mercy endureth for ever, has been so
said, because He did these things for this reason, because
His mercy endureth for ever : whereas they, whom He has
freed from misery, belong to His Mercy: but not that we should believe that He makes sky, earth, and luminaries, of
His Mercy; since they are marks of His Goodness, Who Gen. l, created all things very good. For He created all things, that^d they might have their being ; but it is the work of His Mercy, 14.
necessarily
154 All God's works made by His Wisdom,
Psalm to cleanse us from our sins, and deliver us from everlasting - -- -misery. And so the Psalm thus addresses us, Give thanks unto the God of Gods, give thanks unto the Lord of Lords. Give thanks to Him, Who alone doeth great wonders ; give thanks to Him, Who by His wisdom made the heavens; give thanks to Him, Who stretched out the earth above the waters ;
give thanks to Him, Who alone made great lights. Hut why
we are to praise, he setteth down at the end of all theverses, for His mercy endureth for ever.
5. But what meaneth, Who alone doeth great wonders ? Is it because many wonderful things He hath done by means of angels and men ? Some wonderful things there are which God doeth alone, and these he enumerates, saying,
v. 5--7. Who by His wisdom made the heavens, Who stretched out the earth above the waters, Who alone made great lights. For this reason did he add alone in this verse also, because the other wonders which he is about to tell of, God did by means of man. For having said, Who alone made great
v. 8. 9. lights, he goes on to explain what these are, the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night; then he begins to tell the wonders which He did by means of angels
v. io. and men ; Who smote Egypt with their first-born, and the rest. The whole creation then God manifestly made, not by means of any creature, but alone ; and of this creation he hath mentioned certain more eminent parts, that they might
1 intelii- make us think on the whole; the heavens we can understand1,
effilos. <<
anfl tne earth we see. And as there are visible heavens too, by mentioning the lights in them, he has bid us look on the whole body of the heavens as made by Him.
6. However, whether by what he saith, Who made the heavens in understanding, or, as others have rendered in intelligence, he meant to signify, the heavens we can under stand, or that He in His understanding or intelligence, that is, in His wisdom made the heavens, (as elsewhere
Ps. 104, written, in wisdom hast Thou made them all,) implying
24'
thereby the only-begotten Word, may be question. But be so, that we are to understand that God His wisdom made the heavens, why saith He this only of the
heavens, whereas God made all things by the same wisdom? Is that needed only to be expressed there, so that in
it it
if it
by
it,
a
it is
that is, His Word.
the rest it might be understood without being written ; so Ver.
^~10'
that he means to say, Who by His wisdom made the heavens: Who laid out the earth above the waters, here under standing, by His wisdom: Who alone made great lights;
the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars to govern the night, that is, by His wisdom.
